The present invention is directed to improvements to pumps, and in particular, pumps having flexible or resilient vanes extending from a rotor for engaging a rotor sleeve as the rotor rotates within the sleeve during operation of the pump.
Known flexible vane pumps exhibit several disadvantages. Among other things, operation of the known devices requires a relatively large input power supply thereby rendering the known devices energy inefficient. Additionally, the arrangement and components of the rotor assembly, and in particular, the flexible vanes of the known devices are subject to wear thereby limiting the useful operating life of the rotor and requiring replacement at a relatively frequent interval.
It is the primary object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the known devices. In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a pump is provided which is energy efficient and which has a useful life greater than that of the known flexible vane pumps. Other advantages of the pump will become apparent from the following description thereof, in conjunction with the drawings.